Martyrs and Messiahs
by SciFiFanForever
Summary: This short story is a sequel to 'We'll Always Have Risa', but can be read as a stand alone story. The Doctor proposed a solution for the Yautja to stop them hunting Federation species which didn't quite go according to plan.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: Although this story stands alone, it is a sequel to We'll Always Have Risa. The Dårlig Ulv Stranden scene in Doomsday was from Rose's point of view. I decided to see it from the Doctor's view point. I don't think the series gave enough time to the Doctor's bereavement.

**Chapter One**

The Doctor walked towards the large, now featureless white wall at the end of the room. He was numb with disbelief. No, it was worse than that, he was empty.

He had just helplessly watched his soul-mate fall towards the breach between universes where she would have spent eternity just drifting alone.

He had just decided to jump after her, to embrace her so that they would be together. However, Pete Tyler suddenly appeared, grabbed her and disappeared back to his alternate universe.

He reached the wall and rested his head against the cool surface. Something tingled in his mind, it was Rose. He could feel her standing in the same spot!

He raised his hand and felt her hand occupying the same position, feeling the same bit of wall. His breath caught in his throat, he could feel her anguish and pain.

The cracks between the universes were healing and the sensation started to fade.

She was gone!

Forever!

He put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked away, his feet heavy; reluctant to leave the last place he had seen his Rose.

He wandered unhindered through corridors and stairwells, making his way back to the TARDIS. He could feel her calling him back to her present location in the main warehouse.

The Touchwood staff were either wandering about in shock or they were dead, deleted by Cybermen or exterminated by Daleks.

The TARDIS was standing alone, a sentinel in the dimly lit warehouse. He lovingly touched the blue wooden panelling. A warm 'hum' filled his mind as the TARDIS welcomed him back.

He stepped inside and leaned back against the door, clicking it shut. His head rested against the door as he stared at the arched ceiling. The TARDIS song had changed to harmonics in a minor key.

It was a Gallifreyan lament for the dead, when the last regeneration had ended and the Time Lord or Lady had finally succumbed to time itself.

The TARDIS and Rose were sisters. Rose had once risked everything to look in to the heart of the TARDIS to save the Doctor, and the TARDIS had looked in to Rose.

It had given her the power to save her Time Lord, while trying to protect her from the very same force that would kill her. And now she was lost, the TARDIS felt that loss as much as the Doctor.

The Doctor felt tears burning his eyes and he looked down from the ceiling over to the console. What he saw next tipped him over the edge as he took a ragged breath and started to weep.

Rose's blue hoodie was draped over the handrail. He remembered her leaving it there. She was always leaving her jackets over the handrail.

He slowly slid down the door and ended in a heap on the floor. Tears came freely now as his hearts broke and he cried. The song of the TARDIS changed as she joined him in weeping for their lost soul-mate.

The Doctor watched in horror as her grip started to fail. He was helpless to save her. She was achingly close, but if he let go to try to reach her, he would immediately be sucked in to the rift.

"ROSE, HOLD ON. HOLD ON," he shouted to her.

Silently she looked at him. She could feel the cramp in her fingers causing them to one by one relinquish their hold on the lever. Her body was now horizontal with the force of the pull.

Time seemed to slow down for her as the last finger gave up its hold and she fell toward the rift between universes. She heard the anguished cry of the man she loved, calling her name.

"ROSE! NOOOOOOOOO!" He looked on in utter disbelief as the woman he had come to love like no other, headed towards oblivion.

He woke with a start. He didn't realise he had fallen asleep. There was an insistent urging in his mind; the TARDIS wanted him to come to the console.

He looked up from the floor and gasped. Rose was standing in front of him wearing those sexy, tight jeans and her union jack tee shirt.

"Come on then," she said, holding out her hand to him. "Show me your moves."

He reached up to her and she faded away. "Oh great! Now I'm going crazy," he said out loud, wiping his wet cheeks with his hand.

He wasn't going crazy. He knew it was part of the grieving process. His brain would hallucinate to try to compensate for his loss; he would see Rose when he normally expected to see her.

The urgency of the TARDIS's calling increased. "Alright Old Girl, I'm coming," he told her. "What's got you all fired up?" He asked her. He walked up the ramp passing the discarded hoodie and touched it gently as he walked by.

He got to the console and looked at the monitor. His 'Old Girl' had been monitoring the repair of the fractured universe. It started at the epicentre and was spreading outwards.

The TARDIS had highlighted an area on the star chart where a large star was currently in its death throws before it went nova. It was close to a fracture that would be the final point at which the breach would heal.

"Oh you clever girl! You clever, clever Old Girl," he said as he ran around the console to set the coordinates and activate the time rotor. The TARDIS started its familiar wheeze as it squeezed and stretched the very fabric of time and space.

He closed his eyes, and using the TARDIS as a transmission booster, he called out to Rose across this universe and into the next. The TARDIS used her link with Rose to find her and call her to the place where the breach connected the two universes.

He opened his eyes and looked up from the controls. He saw Rose curled up on the jump seat reading a holo-book on the e-pad. She looked up at him and gave him that heart-melting, loving smile. Then, like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland, she faded away until even that wonderful, heart breaking smile was gone.

Four hours and 25 minutes later he saw her again, but this time it was no hallucination. Standing on the floor grating next to the console was her full size hologram, wearing a black leather jacket and baggy jeans. The too long sleeves of her jumper peeked out from inside the jacket.

"Where are you," she asked imploringly, a sad, haunted look in her eyes.

"Inside the TARDIS," he told her. "There's one tiny little gap in the Universe left, just about to close, and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. I'm in orbit around a super nova. I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

She shakes her head gently. "You look like a ghost."

"Hold on," he says as he uses his sonic screwdriver to solidify his image.

Rose walks forwards and raises her hand towards his face. "Can I t..."

"I'm still just an image. No touch," he sadly tells her.

"Can't you come through properly?" she asks him. It sounds like the pleading of a small child. She's seen him do impossible stuff before, surely he can do this.

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse," he explains, a sad look in his eyes.

"So?" she asks, trying to lighten the mood. It worked. The slightest of smiles graces his still gorgeous lips as they stand there just looking longingly at each other.

His enquiring Time Lord brain suddenly kicks in to try to keep the conversation going. "Where are we? Where did the gap come out?"

"We're in Norway," she tells him.

He raises his eyebrows. "Norway… Right."

She continues. "About fifty miles out of Burgen. It's called 'Dalek Ulv Stranden'.

Did he just hear that right? "Dalek?"

"Dårlig," she corrects him. "It's Norwegian for bad. This translates as Bad Wolf Bay." She rolls her eyes and they both laugh.

'What are the chances of that?' he thought. That damn phrase still haunts them.

"How long have we got?" she asks him, her voice breaking. No amount of time would ever be enough.

"About two minutes," he replied.

"I can't think of what to say!" All the months of longing to see him again, needing to hear his voice, see his smile. If it wasn't so tragic it would be funny.

He looked over the expanded hologram to the figures in the distance. They were semi-transparent against the walls of the TARDIS. "You've still got Mister Mickey, then?" he noticed.

"There's five of us now," she explained. "Mum, Dad, Mickey and… the baby."

The Doctor's heart missed a beat. Not his Rose? Not already? He had to know but didn't want to hear the answer. "You're not?"

She suddenly realized what he was thinking and laughed. "No. It's mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way."

'Three months' he thought. The fracture has extended into the future of the other universe.

He looked over with admiration at Jackie and Pete and then back in to those beautiful brown eyes. "And what about you? Are you…"

"Yeah, I'm back working in the shop," she said holding back a smile. She still couldn't resist teasing him.

"Oh, good for you," he said, but he didn't really mean it. His Rose deserved so much more.

She saw through him straight away. "Shut up. No, I'm not." Her voice started to break with the emotion she was feeling. "There's still a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

Now he did mean it when he said. "Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth." She could hear the pride in his voice and see it in his smile.

His face suddenly became serious. "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead." Tears started to well in both their eyes. Rose lost it first and tears started to roll down her cheeks.

He smiled at her, willing the tears to stop. "Here you are, living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

She had picked up on the finality of that sentence. "Am I ever going to see you again?" she asked him, openly crying now.

"You can't," he stated simply.

"What're you going to do?" she wailed.

His mouth was smiling but his eyes were now crying along with Rose. "Oh, I've got the TARDIS. Same old life, last of the Time Lords."

"On your own," she asked. She couldn't bear the thought of him being on his own. Who would look out for him, keep him in check?

He silently nodded at her. He couldn't speak.

"I…." The words caught in her throat. "I love you," she cried, covering her eyes to try to hide her tears.

He wanted to see her smile one last time. "Quite right, too," he said, and those beautiful lips formed that gorgeous smile that he missed so much.

The TARDIS on the other hand gave him a mental version of a kick on the shin. She was urging him to say it. Even if she knew it, Rose needed to hear it, and it was the least she deserved.

In an instant he knew that the TARDIS was right. He looked into Rose's eyes. "And I suppose, if it's one last chance to say it," he started, summoning all his courage and love for this extraordinary human standing before him. "Rose Tyler, I love you."

The image of Rose had faded but he carried on. "I think I loved you from the moment I first held your hand and our time lines became fixed. And I definitely loved you when you risked yourself to save me on satellite 5."

The TARDIS started to sing the lament in his head again as he continued. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks. "Gallifreyan's don't have the concept of human love. It's different for us, and I've had to learn it, and I've had the best teacher."

He thought again about how he had regenerated in her image. She was dying from the energy that she had used to save him. He kissed her to take the energy into his own body, sacrificing that regeneration for her.

His latest regeneration had been particularly difficult because it was formed to be an exact match for a particular pink and yellow human female.

He wiped his eyes and started to compartmentalise his brain and get his emotions in check. He started to organise his thoughts and made a mental checklist.

'1. Rose was safe. 2. She was with her family. C. He had managed to say goodbye.' He stopped and received a mental elbow in the ribs. 'Oh, and 4. I have my beloved TARDIS."

He started to set the controls to take him away from the super-nova when a woman suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the console. "What?" he said out loud. She was gobby with an attitude, a ginger attitude to make it worse. And why the hell was she dressed like a bride?


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: The bad-ass Xenomorphs are back and the Yautja aren't happy.

**Chapter Two**

Carlton Maynard, Director of mining facilities on Theta-Epsilon VI was finishing his last cup of coffee of the afternoon. He would soon be off shift and heading home to his family.

He spied his favourite Rigellian ginger biscuits on a plate on his secretary's desk. It would dunk really nicely in his coffee.

He over-dramatically sneaked up behind T'paun, his Vulcan secretary and carefully reached for the prize.

Without any sign that she had heard or seen him, her hand shot out and gently slapped his wrist.

"Your wife has given strict instructions that your calorific intake should not exceed the recommended level for a human of your mass while you are in this office," she told him coldly.

T'paun was beautiful even by Vulcan standards. She had full lips, high cheekbones and dark, sultry green eyes. Her long black hair was styled to accentuate her best feature, the cutest pointed ears this side of the Alpha Quadrant.

"Aww, come on. Give a guy a break," he said playfully. T'paun was having none of it.

"Your shift finishes in 13 minutes, 17 seconds. Your journey home takes an average of 10 minutes. You will be eating your evening meal approximately 20 minutes after that. You will only have to hold out for another 43 minutes," she concluded.

"How much is she paying you?" he asked with a grin. "I'll double it," he joked as he turned away. He suddenly reached behind and grabbed a biscuit, dunking it in his coffee before it could be taken off him.

T'paun raised an eyebrow and shook her head as he walked back in to his office. He would finish off his report on the Dilithium yield before shutting shop and heading home.

Dilithium crystals were rare and very important as a catalyst for plasma excitation in a warp drive engine. The Federation colony was a multi-species society and all Federation worlds had a fair share of the resource.

Carlton's comms panel on his desk started to 'ping' for his attention.

"Oh great!" he said looking at the clock on the wall.

"Do you want me to get that Director?" T'paun asked from her desk. "I can take a message."

"No, it's okay. I'll get it thanks," he called back. He touched the screen and the craggy face of his field geologist Takson Jask. "What you got for me Taks?" he asked congenially.

"Hey, Carlton. How's the coffee?" he joked. "One of my guys has come across some odd-looking silicon formations. They look like they may have an organic component to them."

"Have you checked them against the Federation database?" Carlton asked, knowing that Takson Jask would do that anyway.

"We're just scanning them now. When we've got the data I'll upload it to the Inter-World Web-Net. I just thought I'd give you the heads up before you went home," he said.

"Thanks Taks. I'll catch up with you tomorrow." He ended the call and shut down his office. He turned to the door and saw T'paun standing there.

She was the image of a professional secretary in sensible shoes, short grey skirt, charcoal grey sweater and short grey jacket.

"If we are finished for the day Director, I will see you in the morning," she said.

Carlton smiled and gave his usual reply. "Not if I see you first."

T'paun raised an eyebrow without smiling. He loved trying to crack a smile on that gorgeously inscrutable face.

* * *

The USS Everett was a single hulled Nova class starship, the mainstay of the Federation scientific fleet. Captain Claudia Alisov's current mission was to survey all planets, moons and asteroids in the current star system for valuable resources.

Captain Alisov was in her command chair reading various reports on her e-pad when the communications officer called to her.

"Captain, I am receiving a distress beacon from the Theta-Epsilon system," he reported.

"On my screen please Mr. Lloyd," she commanded, looking at the screen built into the chair.

She viewed a few reports about unusual silicate formations, a request for updated information from the Federation database, and a medical report on a parasite attached to a geologists face. After that there were no more messages, just the automated distress beacon.

"Mr. Lloyd, inform Starfleet Command of the distress call and of our response," she commanded. "Relay all the messages we've received so far."

"Helm, lay in a course for Theta-Epsilon VI, warp six," she said.

"Theta-Epsilon VI, warp six, aye sir. E.T.A four hours," the Bajoran helmsman responded.

"Mr. Lloyd, give me everything you've got on the colony and feed it through to security too," she ordered. "It's time to do our homework."

The Captain started reading the files. The colony had been established seven years ago when a rich seam of Dilithium crystals was located in a cliff face on an equatorial continent.

The planet has a comfortable range of climates and the colony is located in a lush, sub-tropical valley. On one side of the valley was the fusion power plant and mining operation, where tunnels were cut into the cliff face.

Seven years ago there were a handful of miners living in standard Federation prefabricated buildings. They were comfortable and utilitarian.

Now, the colony had expanded to over 400 individuals and the accommodations were very homely and comfortable. There were gardens, parks and arboretums. The multi-cultural society had a large community centre which held many family activities.

By the time the USS Everett arrived at Theta-Epsilon VI, the Captain and the away team were fully briefed on the colony.

"Helm, standard geosynchronous orbit above the colony," Alisov ordered. "I want a full spectrum scan in a 10 kilometre radius. Comms, hail them on all channels," she finished.

The bridge was silent except for the hum and beeps of the equipment that you never notice until it stops.

Mr. Lloyd on comms was the first to break the silence. "No response Captain on any frequency."

"Thank you Lieutenant," Alisov replied distractedly. She was thinking about 400 people on the surface.

The science officer spoke next. "Captain, the fusion generator is still on-line but the colony is in darkness and without power. I can find no signs of life in any of the dwellings. I believe I have detected five life signs in the Dilithium mines. However the readings are being distorted by the Dilithium crystals."

"Have the colonists evacuated in to the mines as a refuge for some reason?" Asilov thought out loud.

"I am unable to answer that speculation without further data Captain," the Vulcan woman replied.

"Sorry," Asilov said. "I was thinking out loud. Mr. Lloyd, is the away team ready?"

The comms officer checked his display panel. "Yes Captain. They are in the transporter room ready to beam down."

"Good," she replied. "Set coordinates for the mine entrance. I want continuous live feed from all tricorders."

"Aye Captain. They are beaming down now," Lloyd reported.

The away team materialised in a large compound outside the mine entrance. There were large mining vehicles parked in orderly rows to their right and half of a kilometre to their left they could see the large pyramid structure of the fusion generator plant.

The away team consisted of five members. Lieutenant Krantz and Ensign Chandler were in charge of security. Ensign Czapek was the paramedic. Ensign Rana was an engineer and Lieutenant P'tek was the science officer.

All five members took out there tricorders and started to rotate in circles, taking readings. They all agreed that there was nothing in the immediate area and that they should proceed into the large tunnels of the mine.

There were a number of small electric buggies scattered around the compound and they commandeered two of them. Krantz, Czapek and Rana took the lead vehicle, Chandler and P'tek brought up the rear.

The buggies were fast and silent and had powerful lights that lit up the tunnel in front of them. The walls of the tunnel started to change from the smooth excavated rock into ribbed organic looking tubes.

Lieutenant Krantz gave a hand signal and the small convoy came to a halt in front of several alcoves formed by a resin-like material on the tunnel wall. On the ground, half metre tall oval 'rocks' were distributed around the cave.

P'tek tapped her comm-link insignia and spoke. "Captain, are you getting this?" she asked.

On the bridge of the Everett, the main viewer was split into five screens.

"We're getting it," Asilov replied. "Organic cyano-acrylate impregnated with silicates." She was reading the sensor readings next to the video display.

"Oh my God!" The voice of Chandler came over the intercom. His tricorder focused on one of the alcoves. A body was cocooned into the alcove with the same resin. The body had a large, ugly hole in the middle of the chest.

Czapek called out. "I've got life signs over here." The team ran over to join him. "Vulcan. Female. Vital signs are poor. We need to get her to sick bay," he reported.

"We've got another two over here!" Rana told them. Nobody noticed the slithering and hissing sounds that echoed around them.

The science officer on the bridge suddenly interrupted the report. "Captain! We need to get them out of there now!" He stated. "I have confirmation of the alcove construction and the materials. It matches a report by the USS Enterprise of an infestation on a Borg ship."

"What are the recommendations of the report?" Asilov asked. If the away team were in danger, she needed a quick response.

"No survivors to be beamed aboard without quarantine. Blast the site from orbit with high yield photon torpedoes." The officer looked at the report in disbelief.

The Captain made a snap decision. "Mr. Lloyd, contact Starfleet and apprise them of our situation. Transporter room, can you get a lock on the away team and any survivors?"

A voice came back over the intercom. "Negative Captain. Too much interference."

The Captain hailed sick bay. "Put together a field hospital and send it to the transporter room. We'll help the survivors on the ground."

"Aye Captain. Will do." A voice came back.

Back in the mine, Czapek started examining the Vulcan woman. Suddenly her dark green eyes snapped open. She took a rasping breath and hissed, "RUN...! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

"LIEUTENANT!" he yelled. "I need a hand here. It's alright Miss, we'll get you out," he told her soothingly.

She spat a Vulcan curse and croaked at him. "Run you foo...aaah." Her head snapped back as her body convulsed. When she looked back at him her eyes were steady and calm.

"That... is... unbelievably... painful," she gasped as dark green blood trickled out of her mouth. The rest of the away team had joined Czapek to free the woman, pulling at the resin cocoon.

They jumped back when they heard a crack and saw the resin over her chest split open. The charcoal grey of her jumper was bulging through the split when two, tiny clawed hands ripped through the fabric and pulled a gaping chest wound apart.

A long, black, shiny cranium emerged through the wound, followed by a sleek body. Before anyone could fire a phaser, the creature leapt to the ground and scurried away like a large rat.

The bridge crew watched in horror as Krantz's tricorder followed the scurrying creature until the view was blocked by a two metre tall version of the same alien.

His tricorder panned upwards to the eyeless face of the Xenomorph, its mouth wide open and just visible inside was a second row of metallic teeth. The video feed died and the screen went black.

On P'tek's screen, they saw what happened. The Xenomorph leant towards Krantz and the gullet shot forwards out of its mouth and into Krantz's forehead. The gullet retracted, pulling Krantz forward as the large jaws closed over his head and made a sickening crunching sound.

Kranrz's lifeless body dropped to the ground, his face and forehead were gone. The Xenomorph turned its eyeless head toward P'tek. The other colonists started to convulse, one after the other.

"Kill me! Please kill me," a young man pleaded before he too started to convulse.

On the bridge, the crew continued to watch the gruesome events unfold. Orange phaser shots lit screens, voices shouted warnings and instructions. There was a scream and P'tak's screen went blank.

"GET TO THE BUGGIES!" Chandler shouted.

The three remaining crewmen ran and dived in to the nearest buggy. Chandler took the controls and floored the pedal. The buggy shot forwards away from the carnage behind them.

Unfortunately, no one had seen one of the oval 'rocks' open its lid and the inhabitant pull itself out with eight long fingers.

Something that looked like a cross between a lobster and a large spider, leapt through the air straight on to the face of Chandler. The buggy veered into the cave wall and ricocheted off, rolling over and spilling the passengers in all directions.

Czapek's leg was caught under the buggy and he couldn't get free. He saw Chandler lying on his back with an alien 'spider' hugging his face. Rana had been thrown across the cave and was on his side with his back to Chandler.

A Xenomorph was moving toward Rana's unconscious body. Czapek could see his phaser on the ground to his right and stretched out to reach it. His fingers brushed the weapon when a six toed shiny black foot stood on his wrist.

No one on the bridge said a word as all the screens went black. They were in shock.

Asilov was the first to speak, her voice almost a whisper. "Sciences. Any life signs?"

The science officer dragged his eyes away from the black screen and checked the sensors. "Negative Captain, no survivors," he reported, his voice thick with emotion.

The Captain cleared her throat. "Tactical. Arm high yield photon torpedoes. Target the mine, power plant and the colony."

"Aye Captain," the ensign said in a quiet voice. He tapped the screen a few times, initiating the Captains orders. "Torpedoes armed and ready Captain."

The Captain looked around the bridge at her crew. They were all looking at her, their faces a mixture of sadness for what had just happened, and sympathy for the command she was about to give.

"On screen," she said and an aerial view of the valley appeared on the main viewer. "Fire," is all she could say without her voice breaking.

Several bright dots descended towards the planet, disappearing into the distance. They left trails as they hit the atmosphere and 30 seconds later a dome of bright light expanded over the colony.

A large mushroom cloud ascended until it touched the edge of the atmosphere, obscuring the view as if drawing a curtain across a scene too horrible to contemplate.

"Helm. Come about; set a heading for the nearest star base. I'll be in my ready room updating the log and filing a report with Starfleet," the Captain announced.

She stood and walked forward a few steps when the proximity alarm sounded.

"Alien ship de-cloaking dead ahead," the science officer reported.

A large vessel shimmered into view on the main viewer. The primary hull appeared to be a curved triangular shape, with a secondary hull below and to the rear.

"Shields up!" Asilov commanded just in time as the shields flared a brilliant blue/white which bleached the colours on the bridge, turning everything white with stark black shadows. The ship lurched backwards throwing the Captain back into the command chair.

"What the hell was that?" she asked anyone who could give her an answer.

"A high energy bolt of super dense plasma," the science officer answered. "They are charging weapons for another strike."

"Shields down to 37 percent, Captain. Another hit like that and we are history," tactical reported.

"Fire phasers and launch torpedoes, full spread," the Captain commanded.

Orange beams of energy flared against the alien shields. The photon torpedoes also detonated harmlessly against the invisible energy barrier.

"No effect Captain, we can't touch them," tactical told her.

"Shit!" An uncharacteristic expletive escaped from the Captains lips. "Helm. Evasive manoeuvre 'Asilov Gamma', warp six, NOW!"

The ship lurched to port and spiralled away from the aggressor as another bolt of plasma passed through the spot they had just occupied.

Onboard the alien ship, one of the three captains watched as the Everett disappeared at warp speed. He looked down at the data display and saw that the Xenomorph nest had been destroyed.

His external mandibles flared in anger. If he and his triad brothers had cleared that nest, he would have had his third queen skull and they could all have become clan leaders. Now they would have to find another colony to seed and start from scratch.


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: The Doctor catches up with some old friends. He shares his loss and learns that he made a mistake.

**Chapter Three**

The Doctor occasionally had to sleep. His Time Lord brain needed to defragment his thoughts and memories and file them away. He didn't like sleeping, he felt it was a waste of time and, it was the time when his demons came to visit him.

The Doctor watched in horror as her grip started to fail. He was helpless to save her. She was achingly close, but if he let go to try to reach her, he would immediately be sucked in to the rift.

He thrashed about in his bed, his jaw clenched tight.

"ROSE, HOLD ON. HOLD ON," he shouted to her. He was mumbling in his sleep, his head tossed from side to side.

Time seemed to slow down as the last finger gave up its hold on the lever and she fell toward the rift between universes. "ROSE! NOOOOOOOOO!" He looked on in utter disbelief as the woman he had come to love like no other, headed towards oblivion.

He shot bolt upright in bed, sweat soaked his pyjamas. He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head until he was fully awake. Putting on his slippers he got out of bed, left their bedroom and went to the kitchen

It was still 'their' bedroom and always would be. They had become lovers while on holiday on Risa, and Rose had shared his bed since. He often fell asleep hugging her pillow, her scent filling his whole being.

Without thinking, still in the twilight of sleep, he made two mugs of tea and put the one for Rose on the table.

"Oooh a brew, cheers," she said.

He looked around to her chair, expecting to see her warm smile beaming at him. It was empty again, just a single mug of tea with a sole finger of steam twisting upwards.

The hallucinations were becoming less frequent now as his brain came to terms with his loss. According to a book in the library, hallucinations were quite common when people suffered bereavement.

He really thought he had lost it when Donna Noble appeared in a wedding dress. Fortunately for his sanity, she was real and for a time had distracted him from his grief.

He had saved Donna and the Earth from the Racnoss, but he didn't have Rose acting as his conscience and felt himself reverting to his dark, vengeful ways that had been forged in the time war.

Out of control, he had watched and gloated over the death of the Racnoss until Donna had told him 'that was enough.'

Drinking his tea, he set about balancing the neurotransmitters in his brain; lightening his mood and making him feel better. Tea always made him feel better.

He decided he would go to see Will and Deanna get married. He and Rose had met them on Risa and had become good friends. Rose and Deanna were like sisters, and the Doctor was sure Deanna had something to do with Rose seducing him, but she would never say for sure.

The pain of his loss had subsided over the last few weeks and he had some comfort in knowing that Rose had been reunited with her long-lost father and that her 'real' mother was also there with her. They were a family again.

He would be eternally grateful to Pete Tyler for catching Rose at the last second before she fell in to the breach with the Daleks and Cybermen. The thought of that fate always made him shudder.

He stood at a distance and watched the ceremony. He didn't want to spoil their big day with the sad news about Rose, so he thought of their time on Risa and smiled.

He sent Deanna feelings of his love for Rose and thoughts of congratulations on their marriage. As a wedding present he sent her the knowledge that they would eventually be very happy parents (he may not be able to look into his own future, but he could look into others).

He saw Deanna look around, whisper to Will and then both look around the guests, searching for a pair of familiar faces.

The Doctor turned and walked away towards the TARDIS, still smiling at his memories of that wonderful holiday.

After all, they would always have Risa.

He approached the TARDIS and reached in to his pocket for the key. As the key slipped in to the lock he heard footsteps running up the grassy bank towards him.

"Doctor? I thought it was you. Not many people I know with two hearts," a voice said breathlessly.

The Doctor turned to see the smiling face of Geordie La Forge, chief engineer of the USS Enterprise.

"Hello Geordie. I didn't think anyone had seen me," he told him. "How did you know it was two hearts at that distance," he asked him, frowning. "Who takes a tricorder to a wedding?"

Geordie tapped his temple and said. "Augmented vision, remember? I don't need a tricorder. When I saw Deanna and Will looking for someone, I scoped the area and saw you up here."

The Doctor nodded. Geordie had been blind from birth, but had always had optical aids to help him see. Recent advances meant he could have ocular implants inserted in to his eye sockets.

"I'm not good company at the moment Geordie and didn't want to spoil their big day," he told him.

"Are you kidding?" Geordie replied. "Will and Deanna would love to see you both. Where is Rose? Is she inside," he asked, nodding towards the TARDIS.

Geordie saw the momentary flash of sadness in the Doctors face. "Oh no, don't tell me… Oh God no. Doctor I'm so sorry." Geordie was distraught.

The Doctor quickly reassured him. "Oh no, it's not like that. She's not dead. She's in a parallel universe with her family and a friend. It's just that I can't get to her." He looked down at the grass, up at the sky and back to Geordie, his eyes stinging. "Ever," he finished.

Geordie cleared his throat. "You look like you could use a drink and a friendly ear," he said.

"What about the wedding?" the Doctor asked him, nodding past his shoulder.

Geordie thought about it and said. "Well, if you can fire that old box up, I know a quiet bar where you can tell me all about it and have me back here before I'm missed."

"I don't really want to talk about it," he told him, turning back to the TARDIS.

"Then let me do the talking," Geordie said. "There are some developments that I think you would like to catch up on since we last met."

The Doctor turned to look at him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

The bar Geordie mentioned was in San Francisco, near the Starfleet academy. It was quiet and had a friendly atmosphere. It also sold a great home-brewed beer.

They sat opposite each other in a corner with the aforementioned beers in front of them. Geordie was bringing him up to speed on what had happened since they had last met on the Enterprise.

"Data and I worked on an automated delivery system for the Borg signals. All Starfleet vessels carry them now. We nicknamed them Borg Bots," he explained. "The ships fire on the Borg and disable them. The Borg Bot is beamed to the computer core and connects itself to the mainframe, delivers the new base code instructions, reboots the system and we wait for the call for help," he said with a proud grin.

"Very impressive," the Doctor said. "Well done." He took a gulp of the beer.

Geordie sipped his beer and said. "Yeah. What wasn't so impressive were the Yautja." The grin had disappeared. "They took the offer of the holo-ships. We thought they'd seen the advantages of hunting virtual prey. Turns out they saw the advantage of practicing their hunting techniques in the holo-ship ready for hunting in the real world.

The Doctor's eyes were wide in disbelief. "What?!"

"We started getting reports of raids on various remote colonies about six months after the Yautja disappeared with the holo-ships. A nearby research ship, the USS Everett was sent to investigate one colony and found all 400 colonists were dead."

Geordie stared at the glass on the table as his thoughts drifted back to the report he had read. "They lost the away team that had beamed down to the colony. The place was overrun with those raptor-like parasites. They torpedoed the place from orbit before being attacked by an unidentified ship."

The Doctor was horrified. It had been his idea to give the Yautja the chance to change their ways and hunt virtual creatures. It was his fault.

Geordie continued. "They're like terrorists without an agenda. They've attacked Cardassians, Andorians, Romulans and many more. The only ones who don't seem to mind are the Klingons, they relish the fight."

"It's my fault," the Doctor said quietly. "It's all my fault. I had no idea they would do that. I'm sorry."

"Hey, nobody's blaming you Doc," Geordie told him. "You weren't to know."

The Doctor looked at him. "I should have considered the possibility though," he said.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Geordie said comfortingly. "It sounds like you've got enough to worry about without this." Geordie took another sip of his beer. "What am I going to tell Deanna and Will about Rose?" he asked.

"You can't tell them anything just yet," he started. "If they heard about Rose on their wedding day, it will affect their future behavior and the choices they make. Those choices will have big implications for many worlds and civilizations," he told him.

Geordie whistled through his teeth. "Phew, you have to think about this all the time?" He shook his head. "I'm surprised it hasn't driven you crazy."

The Doctor gave a single laugh. "I know a few people who will tell you it already has."

The TARDIS materialized in the same spot where it had been before. Inside, the Doctor checked and rechecked the chronometer. He remembered being late after his first journey with Rose. That was a lifetime ago.

"Exactly one minute, 13 seconds after we left," he told Geordie with a hint of pride in his voice. Geordie was heading down the ramp towards the doors.

"Now remember, we were busy saving the universe and didn't have time to say hello," the Doctor told him.

Geordie laughed. "Hell, even I believe that, and I know it's not true," he said. "And you'll come to talk to them on the Enterprise after their honeymoon?"

The Doctor smiled. "I promise. I'll see you in a couple of minutes," he said as Geordie stepped outside and the TARDIS started wheezing.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS in to Cargo Bay 4. It was almost the exact same spot where the TARDIS had landed before. He was immediately assaulted by a fierce hug from Deanna and Will.

"Doctor," Will said with a grin on his face. "It's good to see you again. Is Rose coming out? She's due a big hug too," he laughed.

Deanna felt his defenses slip momentarily and could feel his loss and his pain.

"Oh no! Not Rose! No, no, no. Please tell me it's not true," she pleaded. Tears were running down her cheeks.

"Deanna, what is it? What's wrong?" Will asked her, concern written on his face.

The Doctor hugged Deanna and gave Will a pained look. "It's not what you think," he told them. "She's alive and well and living with her family in a different universe, one that I can't get to."

Deanna became professional and looked at the Doctor through her councilor eyes. She didn't like what she saw. "Let's go to Ten-Forward, we can get a drink and you can tell us what's happened."

The Doctor stiffened. "I,.. I don't really want to talk about it," he told her.

"Rose became like a little sister to me," Deanna said soothingly. "I need to know what happened to her…. Please."

The Doctor sighed and his shoulder slumped in defeat. "Yes, you're right. It's selfish of me to keep it all bottled up. I'm sorry."

Deanna reached out and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. Will patted the Doctor's shoulder and said. "Come on, let's get that drink."

They sat at a table in Ten-Forward and the Doctor slowly and reluctantly told them the story of their return to Earth and the battle of Canary Warf.

Data entered Ten-Forward and joined them as the Doctor was describing the attack on Earth by the Cybermen and how the Daleks had emerged from the void ship.

"I have examined the historical records from 20th and 21st century Earth and I am puzzled by the absence of any mention of Daleks, Cybermen or alien incursions in mainstream news reports," Data stated.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and tugged at his ear. "Ah, yes, well, that would be down to Torchwood," he told him.

Deanna leaned forward in interest. She had wondered about that also. "Torchwood? The people at the center of the battle of Canary Warf?" she asked.

The Doctor continued. "One and the same. A shadowy organization outside of the government, charged with the task of protecting the Earth from alien threats and to investigate alien technology." He gave a laugh. "I was the alien that started it all off," he told them.

Data spoke again. "From my research, Torchwood operatives sound like the 'Men-In-Black' mentioned in conspiracy theories surrounding the phenomena of unidentified flying objects," Data informed them.

The Doctor thought about that and chuckled. "Y'know Data, you're right, their operatives did wear black.

He continued his explanation. "21st century Earth had a global network of computers and media broadcasts. Torchwood introduced subliminal, perception modification signals in to social network sites and news channels. People started to believe that it was all made up and was just stupid conspiracy theories. It was so successful that some people even believed that Neil Armstrong never made it to the moon!"

Deanna was shocked that an organization would be able to do that. "That sounds very sinister," she said.

The Doctor reassured her. "You'd think so, but their intentions were good. They managed to keep society from worrying about alien invasions so people could get on with their lives."

He continued the story, up to the part where he and Rose had opened the breach. He fell silent at that part.

Deanna was expert at listening and asking the right questions at the right moment. She managed to get the Doctor to open up and give them the whole story, so they could visualize it as if they had been there.

When he finished his story, they sat in stunned silence. Deanna wiped tears from her cheek, while Will shook his head and rubbed his beard.

"At least I managed to say goodbye," the Doctor said, smiling. He told them the story of the beach at Bad Wolf Bay in Norway. "And I finally told her that I loved her."

Deanna reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Well, that's certainly an improvement for you," she said encouragingly.

The Doctor nodded. "Only, I don't know if she heard me. The connection failed as the breach finally closed."

"She knew anyway," Deanna told him. "We all did." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I told you we were like sisters," she laughed. "And sisters love to gossip."


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: Thanks to Alien Species Wiki website for background on the Yautja. I've used a bit of artistic license with their society and visualised it as a Viking/Samurai feudal society. I hope you agree. The Federation get tough and the Doctor is reunited with Rose (well almost).

**Chapter Four**

Yautja Prime, the home-world of the feared predatory alien species was hidden from prying eyes within a gaseous nebula. The ringed planet orbited a trinary star system and possessed two main biomes; a hot, dry volcanic desert and a humid, lush jungle.

The tough environment evolved tough life forms, including the Yautja themselves. This led to a feudal society which was a cross between the Vikings and the Japanese Shogunate. Honour and obedience were expected and demanded of all citizens.

All inhabitants belonged to a particular clan, which were controlled by a clan leader. All the clans were kept in order by the Council of Ancients, a planetary government of Adjudicators who had risen through the ranks by acts of great courage and skill.

Various clans would occasionally have disputes or rivalry which would lead to feuds. If they got out of hand, the Adjudicators would step in and end it quickly and some times ruthlessly.

The Chief Adjudicator was the king, or more accurately the chieftain of all Yautja. His word was law, and his law ruled according to ancient, unchanging traditions.

As in any society however, there were always heretics. The Killers were a Bad Blood clan of outcast Yautja who were considered heretics by the mainstream Hunter Yautja. This was because the Killers did not engage in standard hunting practices but instead sought only to kill rather than hunt, which many Hunters found no honor in.

Lately, there had been whisperings and murmurings of other heretics. Not killers or hunters, but thinkers and philosophers, Yautja who were questioning the ancient ways.

Rumours of an underground movement were starting to reach the Council of Ancients and they were concerned. How would they maintain control over the off-world clans without obedience to the ancient customs?

Palak-Satak, the current Chief Adjudicator had instructed the Adjudicators in the council to ruthlessly seek out these dissenters and eliminate them in public executions that should be slow and painful.

Yautja were hunters by birthright, by tradition and by the blessing of the ancient spirits, and Palak-Satak would defend that to the death.

* * *

The USS Enterprise had arrived at Starbase 221 for a rendezvous with the fleet. A variety of vessels were continually arriving.

The Doctor sat at the long conference table next to Deanna and Will. There were other senior officers of the Enterprise that he knew, and other Starfleet personnel he hadn't seen before.

Through the large windows of the conference room he could see the mushroom-shaped Starbase they were docked to, and other starships waiting in formation.

Captain Picard entered the conference room and took his seat at the head of the table.

He cleared his throat before addressing the assembled crew. "Before we start this briefing," he turned to the Doctor. "I would like to extend my heartfelt sorrow toward the Doctor,.. and Rose for the situation that they find themselves in at the moment."

The Doctor nodded his thanks towards the captain.

"Councilor Riker has briefed us on the events that occurred after you left us, and we are deeply saddened that we will never see Rose again," he finished.

Deanna, who was seated next to the Doctor, held his hand and gave it a squeeze. He looked at her with thanks shining in his eyes.

"As we know, the Yautja have become a serious problem to the colonies and outposts of the Federation and we have been given the task of finding a solution," Picard stated.

The captain directed each of his officers to give their reports to the group. Worf went first with a report on which colonies, research outposts and mining facilities had been attacked, with details of casualties. It appeared that the Yautja did not attack unarmed people directly, however any man, woman or child could become a host to the xenomorph parasite that they hunted.

The next report was given by Data on the search for the Yautja's home world. The world was well hidden and the Yautja were experts a covering their tracks.

Millions of false warp trail signatures criss-crossed the Alpha Quadrant like a spider's web. Data theorized that remote probes traveled on random flight paths, leaving trails that Yautja ships could follow like highways, masking their own ships exhaust and concealing their journeys.

It would take hundreds of years for all the ships in Starfleet to follow each known trail, and new ones were appearing all the time.

A renowned Exo-sociologist, Dr. Chandra gave his opinion on the Yautja based on the information available, some of which came from rescued victims of the Borg, and some from Deanna Riker and her 'sensing' of Takal-Atak, a Yautja who was captured by the Doctor.

The assembled group read his report as he explained the details as he understood them.

**Federation Database: **

**Heading: The Yautja.**

**Sub Heading: Society**

The Yautja seem to be paranoid xenophobes with a feudal society made up of different classifications, including blooded and un-blooded. Their caste includes:

**Un-blooded** - About 25 percent of male Yautja are un-blooded. This means that the Yautja have no distinguishable kills among their race, such as killing a Xenomorph. Once a Yautja kills a Xenomorph and collects its head as trophy, they become blooded. All unblooded are children too young to safely hunt for Xenomorphs, or they simply have not had the chance to battle a Xenomorph yet.

**Blooded** - About 45 percent of male Yautja are blooded. These are warriors who have gained the clan symbol on their forehead after their first successful Xenomorph hunt.

**Retirees** - About 10 percent of male Yautja are retirees, Yautja who have fought their time and now are too old and honoured to hunt. Females commonly come under this section due to their roles as mothers.

**Elite Predator - **Elite Predators are often leaders in their clan, and are only elevated to the caste of Elite Predator once they have acquired a Queen Xenomorph skull. However some more skilled clans who are made completely out of elites can compete in battle against Xenomorphs to earn the title. Also the Yautja must also be born into that clan to do so. About 15 percent of blooded Yautja are Elite Predators. Once an Elite Predator they specialize in certain weapons making that weapon their strong suit. A Brawler specializes in Wristblades, Spearmaster specializes with the Combistick. Elite Predators often become retirees after a few decades.

**Champion - **These are predators who have received great honour and respect among others including clan leaders. To achieve this status a predator must cleanse a hive with a population of over 300 Xenomorphs and kill a predalien all on his own.

**Clan Leader** - Clan Leaders are only made by the Adjudicator's decision. The only way to become a Clan Leader is to clean out an entire Xenomorph hive which is larger than 300 members in population with a maximum of two others (a Triad). When this has been proven, the three (or fewer) Yautja all become Clan Leaders. They become the forefathers of that clan and will repopulate with females of their choosing. In order to be eligible for the trials of a hive cleansing, each member of the triad must have at least 3 Queen skull trophies. After this point, any hive cleansings that the forefathers complete will give the clan greater honor and standing in the caste system. Clan leaders comprise 5 percent of the Yautja society.

**Adjudicators** - The adjudicators are the administrators and law enforcers of the Yautja. They are world leaders and the ruling fist in the overall scheme of the Yautja culture. Less than 1 percent of Yautja are adjudicators, due to their massive worldly role. At this point, they simply no longer have time to hunt anymore off planet, but often foray into the underground contained hunting grounds, where younger hunters train in order to lend experience to the young ones. Adjudicators are always the leaders of a clan and no adjudicators have ever risen to that position without first having completed at least five hive cleansings.

**Bad Bloods** - These are the criminal Yautja who have been sentenced to death and escaped. Their justice system shows that crime is very low. About 2 percent of Yautja are bad bloods.

Male Yautja hunt and because of it some say they are Predators. When a male Yautja is ready for his first hunt, he is an un-blooded Predator.

When an un-blooded Predator completes a hunt and kills their first Xenomorph, they use its acidic blood to form a mark on their helmet and on the head. He is marked and is now a young Predator, also called a Young blood.

A Predator has better hunting gear the higher rank he is. When the Predator proves himself worthy enough, the elder will present the Predator the Combi Stick, which is rare in their culture. Other rare items include stronger Plasmacasters, the laser-guided Smart Disc and Razor Whip.

If a Predator is to fall in battle during a hunt, a more experienced Predator is sent to activate the now deceased Yautja's wrist bracer to overload, causing it to explode in a manner that erases all trace of it ever being there.

**End.**

There were other reports on their ships and weapons technology, shields and cloaking devices.

Finally, Will Riker gave a summary of the Triad they had met on the Borg ship.

"They were un-blooded Yautja on their first off-world hunt," he started. "It all went wrong for them when that met the Borg. We know that the one that was assimilated was called 'Takal-Atak', and was profoundly affected by the 'hive mind' of the Borg collective."

"We hoped that the holo-ships we supplied would allow them to continue the hunting traditions while leaving the citizens of the Federation alone," he continued. "From what we can tell however, they are using the holo-ships to train their un-blooded, and develop strategies to fight Federation and non-Federation species."

The Doctor hung his head in sorrow. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I should have seen that it was the Borg assimilation that affected Takal-Atak, not the fight on the holodeck," he said.

Captain Picard responded quickly. "Doctor, none of this is your fault," he told him. "Even without the holo-ships, the Yautja would still be hunting in the outposts and colonies. It is our task to try to find a way of stopping them."

The Doctor suddenly looked worried as he glanced at Picard and then out of the windows. "Well, whether that's a task force or an invasion force, I'd better go and have a talk with the Yautja," he said solemnly.

The Captain tried to reassure the Doctor. "Trust me Doctor. When we find the Yautja home world, it will be a diplomatic mission. However I have a duty to protect the Federation."

The Doctor did trust Captain Picard and softened his voice. "I understand Captain, and I have a duty as the last Time Lord to give them a chance to change. The TARDIS knows where they are. I'll go and have a little chat before you find them." With that, he stood and walked out of the room.

Deanna stood and followed him out of the room.

"Doctor, may I speak with you before you go?" she asked him.

The Doctor turned and smiled. "Of course Deanna, what is it?"

She started hesitantly. "Well, as a councilor, I have concerns about your mental state at the moment. After bereavement, and you have had a bereavement, feelings of sorrow and guilt can lead to self-destructive behaviour."

The Doctor gave a small laugh. "Don't worry about me. I'm alright. I'm always alright, me. I'm not going to 'top' myself. Although a few weeks ago…." He left the sentence unfinished.

"Anyway," Deanna said. "We have a gift for you, and I would like to take you to see it," she said all mysterious and smiling.

Deanna walked along the corridor with the Doctor, her arm linked through his.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

She looked at him and smiled. "I told you it's a secret, a gift," she replied. "Geordie and Data have given up all their free time to work on it, as well as Beverley and myself," she finished as they arrived at the orange doors of the holodeck.

Deanna spoke to the panel in the archway. "Computer, initiate program TARDIS interior."

An electronic female voice replied. "Program initiated, enter when ready."

The doors swished open and they stepped in to the room. The Doctor grinned. It was an exact copy of the TARDIS.

"This is the most detailed hologram ever produced in here," Deanna explained. "Data's positronic brain recorded every detail of the TARDIS when he was in there and downloaded it in to the computer."

"Hah!" the Doctor laughed. "It's brilliant," he told her.

"You haven't seen the best yet," Deanna said mysteriously. "Geordie and Beverley used the bioscan records in sickbay and I did the psychological profile, that's my specialty," she said with a grin.

The Doctors eyebrows furrowed in a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about?" he asked her.

"Computer, initiate Rose avatar," she said in answer to his question. She nodded to a position behind him.

He turned around and his breath caught in his chest. There, sitting curled up on the jump seat was Rose. She was beaming that unbelievable smile at him. Her hand came up in front of her shoulder and gave a little wave. "Hello," she said.

The Doctor looked back to Deanna, his mouth open. She moved closer and hugged his arm.

"Rose told me that she loved to sit there and just watch you work on the TARDIS," she told him smiling. "Right down to the molecular level, that is your Rose."

The Doctor turned back to look at the avatar. She uncoiled herself and stood uncertainly, waiting for him to say or do something.

"Go to her," Deanna urged. "She needs a hug. And you need to tell each other all the things that were left unsaid. This is a secure and private simulation," she assured him. "Whatever is said in here, stays in here." Deanna gave him a hug, turned and left the holodeck.

"How've ya been?" she asked nervously.

The Doctor cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair. "Oh, y'know. The same old thing. Saving the Earth, a lot of running," he said with a smile. He felt decidedly awkward talking to a hologram. "You do realize you're a set of programmed responses embedded in a heuristic algorithm, don't you?" he asked.

The avatar giggled. No, Rose giggled. Oh how he had missed that laugh. "I love it when you talk dirty," she said.

"Oh, and a bride appeared inside the TARDIS," he told her, his smile turning to a grin.

She ran over and hugged him the way she always did. He returned the hug and tears welled in his eyes. He kissed her hair and breathed her in. He could smell her unmistakable scent! The essence that identified her as 'his' Rose.

They just held each other, crying, releasing their grief in that simple embrace. The Doctor lost track of how long they hugged each other, it wasn't long enough. It would never be long enough.

He relaxed his grip and looked down into her teary eyes. Her hand slid down and slipped in to his. It fit perfectly as it always had. His hearts soared at that touch.

She hesitantly moved to kiss him and he momentarily flinched. Would kissing this avatar betray the love he had for Rose? He saw the hurt look in her eyes, those gorgeous eyes. He leant forward and gently brushed her lips.

Any thought of this not being Rose was gone with that first touch of their lips. Her mouth sought his hungrily and they shared the most wonderful, passionate, longing kiss he could ever remember.

"Let's go and have a cup of tea," she said breathlessly. "We've got a lot to talk about." She tugged his hand and they skipped towards the kitchen.

* * *

Captain Picard was off-duty in his quarters away from the bridge. He was getting some rest before the task force began its mission to find the Yautja.

They really didn't know where to start looking. The Doctor had said that the TARDIS knew where they were, but he hadn't asked him for the information. He knew the Doctor would have told him if he had wanted to.

The door chime chirruped gently and he absently said. "Come."

The Doctor stepped into the room, his long brown coat flapping behind him. "Sorry to disturb you Captain, but I need to give you this." He held out an e-pad toward the Captain.

Picard took it and looked at it. It appeared to be switched off.

"Keep it with you at all times," the Doctor told him. "It's time-locked and will give vital information at the correct time. Follow the instructions to the letter and DO NOT tell me anything about the information that is on it, it could cause a time paradox."

Picard looked at him, confused. "I don't understand," he said.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh you will… When the time is right, you will."

Without another word, the Doctor turned and left the Captain standing there, turning the e-pad over in his hands, dumbfounded.

It was later in the evening when the Doctor found Will and Deanna in ten-forward having a drink. He walked up to their table and addressed Will formally. "Excuse me commander, may I borrow your wife and excellent councilor for a moment?"

Will looked at Deanna with raised eyebrows and turned back to the Doctor with a grin on his face. "Yes, of course."

The Doctor held out his hand for Deanna and she took it as she stood. He held her around the waist, leaned her back and kissed her… and continued to kiss her.

The crew started to whoop and whistle, and still he kissed her.

Will's grin grew even wider. And still he kissed her.

When she started to go limp in his arms, he stood her up. Applause and cheers erupted in the room as Deanna wobbled a little, feeling dizzy. Will couldn't remember having seen Deanna blush before, but she sure as hell was now.

Still holding her hand the Doctor said, "That is the nicest, most thoughtful present anyone has ever given to me. I know Rose has her family to support her and help her through this difficult time. And you have given me Rose to help me. Thank you." He turned around, winked at Will and left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Notes: The Doctor visits the Yautja home world to try to reason with them. (Bad idea)

**Chapter Five**

The Doctor landed the TARDIS in a pedestrian area of the capital city of Yautja Prime. The perception filter meant that none of the passing inhabitants took any notice of the strange blue box.

He knew that when he stepped outside the TARDIS he would be a very noticeable alien in a xenophobic, xenopathic society. He would have to ad-lib like he had never ad-libbed before.

Hr stood at the door and took a deep breath. It wasn't like he hadn't done this sort of thing before. He had faced down a whole Dalek invasion fleet on more than one occasion. How hard could it be?

He was about to find out.

The pedestrian square was quiet with a few passing citizens. In the centre of the square was a large metal statue of a Yautja warrior in his full hunting regalia. Probably some legendary, heroic figure.

The Doctor walked away from the TARDIS with his hands in his pockets, admiring the statue and the architecture. People started to point and stare at him. Voices were becoming raised as they realised that an alien was on their Home world.

Shouts for law enforcers went out as more people entered the square to see what the commotion was about. The Doctor took his hands out of his pockets and spread them wide in the universal gesture of non-aggression.

He heard a loud ringing in his ears and saw flashing lights as he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head. His vision went black as he heard Yautja voices that sounded like marbles rattling in a stone jar.

"Marbles," he thought cheerfully. "I haven't had a game of marbles in centuries. Old Emperor Theodus on Risa loved a game of marbles."

He drifted off into unconsciousness thinking of Risa.

He was in the penthouse suite of the hotel on Risa. Rose was standing by the bed looking at him seductively with those gorgeous, brown, come-to-bed eyes.

She held out her hand to him and beckoned him to her. He reached out to her but couldn't move forward. He looked down and saw his arm linked through a Mag-clamp on the wall.

The room was filling with a gale force wind. He looked back to Rose and saw that she was now horizontal and the wind was blowing her away from him towards a breach in the universe.

"ROSE!" he shouted as she slowly drifted away.

"Rose?" he mumbled as he drifted back to consciousness. He briefly felt a vice-like pressure in his head which thankfully subsided. He risked opening his eyes and was totally confused by the result.

'Light fittings on the floor?' he thought to himself. "Who puts light fittings on the floor? That's just plain daft!" When he looked up, he chuckled to himself. 'And a chair on the ceiling, how the hell are you going to sit on that?'

He was concussed and confused. He screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. 'Aarghh,' that was a bad idea as the vice-like pain came back.

When he opened his eyes again, his brain had worked it out and he realised he was hanging upside down in a stone room that you could only consider was a dungeon.

He heard the sound of marbles rattling in an earthenware jar. Dread suddenly gripped him. He'd heard that sound before and it had apparently killed him.

In his concussed state it took his brain a moment to translate the sound. "It is conscious," the voice said. A familiar, ugly, dreadlocked head appeared in front of the Doctor.

"How did you find us?" the head asked.

"I'm the….. What?" That threw him. The first question was usually 'who are you.'

"How did you find our world? It is hidden from prying eyes," it said.

"I didn't find it. I have star charts. I knew where it was," the Doctor babbled on. "To find something implies that you didn't know where it was to start with."

"AARRGHNNMMM!" A wave of pain shot through his body. The Yautja had touched him with a two-pronged stick that sent an electric shock through him.

"Have a care, your answers will decide how long you live," the Yautja said in a flat tone.

The Doctor gasped. "I'll certainly keep that in mind," he gasped. He knew that if they didn't want to know who he was, they already knew or, more worryingly, they didn't care.

"Who sent you?" his interrogator asked. The Doctor lifted his arms which had dangled towards the floor and ran a hand through his hair, wincing when he found the lump at the back of his head.

"How much is the answer worth to that one?" he asked.

The Yautja tilted his head to one side. "What?"

"Well, you said my answers determined how long I would live," he quoted. "Have you got any guidance about how much each answer is worth? I'd like to try to stay alive as long as possible."

"AARRGHNNMMM!" There it was again! Owww, that made his teeth hurt.

"Who sent you?" his interrogator asked again.

The Doctor sighed. "Nobody sent me. I came of my own free will to try to help you," he told him in his calm, reassuring voice. This always seemed to keep adversaries off-balance. Sun Tzu had told him once that all warfare was based on deception.

'When able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near,' he had told him.

The Doctor said he should write that down.

The Yautja, Kazan-Chazak, had a lot of experience torturing prisoners. Let them fear for their life, but have hope of survival, this gets the best results. This one however wasn't showing any fear or concern for its survival. It seemed to think it was just a misunderstanding and a minor inconvenience.

Kazan-Chazak took the bait. "What makes you think we need your help?" he asked, his external mandibles flexing.

The Doctor replied with scorn in his voice. "The mighty, unbeatable Yautja," he started. Kazan-Chazak opened his mandibles wide, an expression of surprise for a Yautja. "Yes, I know your species. I know the legends. I know your reputation, and I know what's coming to get you. And right now I think that information is keeping me alive."

"AARRGHNNMMM!" That felt like a kick in the groin.

"WILL YOU KNOCK THAT OFF!" he shouted. "I'm here to try to correct a mistake and save you all from annihilation!"

Kazan-Chazak was about to zap him again when a klaxon started wailing in the room and in the corridor outside. He looked at the other two Yautja in the room and then turned around to storm over to the comms panel on the wall.

"What is going on?" he barked at the panel.

A voice spoke back. "Hundreds of ships are dropping out of warp and heading straight towards us."

The Doctor could translate verbal language instantaneously but had to observe body language and facial expressions before he could interpret their meaning. He was getting the hang of the Yautja expressions, and he reckoned the one he was getting now from Kazan-Chazak was rage.

"So no one sent you!" Kazan-Chazak said with venom in his voice. "You are a spy, an advanced scout, leading an invasion fleet to our door," he spat.

The Doctor spluttered and protested his innocence. "NO! I have nothing to do with this. I have come on my own to hel…."

"Kill him," Kazan-Chazak said simply as he walked out of the door.

The two Yautja looked at each other and then at the Doctor. He reckoned those expressions were grins.

The two Yautja approached the Doctor, one in front and one behind. He heard the 'shing' of the double blades extend from the wrist bracer behind him.

He looked pleadingly in to the eyes of the grinning Yautja in front of him. "Don't do this, I have come to help you," he told him.

The Yautja nodded to his accomplice behind the Doctor. The Doctor swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He heard the swish of the blades slicing the air and a 'twang' sound.

He felt himself spinning. Had they cut his head off? He felt a pressure under his armpits and his feet had pins and needles as blood rushed back to them.

'Wait a minute,' he thought. 'Your head doesn't go 'twang' when it's cut off!'

He opened one eye experimentally and saw the grinning face of the Yautja, who was holding him above the floor, chuckling. "What?!" he asked, completely baffled.

"You don't remember us, do you Doctor?" the Yautja said putting him down.

The Doctor winced as his feet burned with pain from being suspended upside down. "I'm sorry, I'm only just getting used to your faces. You know who I am so I can only surmise that you were the Yautja that I met on the Enterprise," he told them.

"Yes. Very good Doctor. I am Jamal-Nanak and that is my Triad brother Garak-Salak," he said. The Doctor turned and nodded a greeting.

"Where's the other guy, Taka-tak wasn't it?" the Doctor asked.

Jamal-Nanak's mandibles flexed, the Doctor interpreted that as sorrow or pain, probably both. "Takal-Atak was 'encouraged' to commit ritual suicide by the clan leaders for the good name of his family, and so as not to dishonour the clan," he told him.

"Encouraged? I take it Takal-Atak didn't agree," the Doctor asked.

"Neither of us agreed," Jamal-Nanak said nodding at his comrade. "Takal-Atak was changed by his time with the Borg. On the journey home he talked of nothing else, the voices, the thoughts of all those species. For weeks he tried to describe how he felt and how other species felt."

Garak-Salak spoke next. "When we arrived home we started to question our own beliefs, our way of life. We are blood brothers, sworn to watch out for each other. If Takal-Atak was right, we had to support him," he said.

Jamal-Nanak finished the story. "He went before the adjudicators and explained all that he had experienced and all that he now knew, but they are so set in their ways that they would not listen. They threatened to dishonour his family if he refused to choose an honourable death."

The Doctor shook his head slowly. "Aren't you risking the same fate for the ramblings of a possible madman?" the Doctor asked sympathetically.

Jamal-Nanak sprung to Takal-Atak's defence. "He was not a madman! He had seen things that changed him. Things that we will never see or know," he said.

"Do you want to?" the Doctor asked quietly.

Jamal-Nanak was taken by surprise. "What?"

The Doctor looked seriously at Jamal-Nanak. "Do you want to see what Takal-Atak saw? But be warned, there is no going back."

Jamal-Nanak looked to Garak-Salak. "I… I don't know," he said uncertainly.

Garak-Salak flexed his shoulders. "He was our blood-brother, if it is at all possible, in his honour I will see what he saw," he said defiantly.

Jamal-Nanak nodded. "I also would see what he saw if it were possible."

"Trust me," the Doctor said. "It's possible." He reached up and put his thumbs under each of their chins, index fingers on their cheeks, middle fingers on their temples, ring fingers in front of their ears, and his little fingers under their ear lobes.

For a brief moment, the Doctor showed them the whole of time and space, and their facial expressions were definitely 'stunned'.

"Hey guys? I need you back in the room," the Doctor called out to them. They visibly shuddered and looked at each other and then at the Doctor.

"Is that what Takal-Atak saw?" Garak-Salak asked.

"Pretty much," the Doctor told them. "You probably got a bit more timey-wimey stuff than he did."

"You have honoured his memory. How may we aid you?" Jamal-Nanak asked.

The Doctor grinned. "First, can you get me to my ship? And second, I can't believe I get to say this, can you take me to your leader?"


	6. Chapter 6

Notes: The Doctor challenges. The Doctor fights. The Doctor dies. The Doctor gets dreadlocks!

**Chapter Six**

The council chamber was filled with Adjudicators and Clan Leaders. They were looking at large display screens and barking orders to subordinates.

The first screen displayed 3 dimensional tactical information on the approaching fleet of ships. The rest of the screens gave real-time visual sightings of the ships from various angles.

Yautja ships were grouping into attack formations and more ships were arriving all the time, ignoring the false trails now that their home world location was known.

The Chief Adjudicator, Palak-Satak was a battle hardened warrior with an excellent grasp of strategy and planning. He was not as tall as many of the others in the chamber, but he exuded authority from every pore of his body.

"Cloak the ships and move in to a hemisphere formation above the aggressors," he ordered. All the vessels shimmered and slowly vanished off the display screens.

"Adjudicator, we are being hailed." One of the clan leaders stated.

"Show it on the screen," he commanded.

The authoritative face of Captain Picard appeared on the screen. "I am Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Star Ship Enterprise. I would like to speak with the leader of the Yautja to negotiate a peaceful settlement of our differences," he said in a calm, reassuring voice.

Palak-Satak stared at the screen in disbelief. "Hah! Peaceful! You send a spy to give away our location so that you can sneak up on us and attack us, and expect us to negotiate." He spat the words out with contempt.

"I assure you we have sent no spies," Picard replied with a puzzled look on his face.

"The thin, brown coated spy who talks too much. His corpse hangs in the interrogation centre as we speak," Palak-Satak smirked.

"Ah, yes, um, that would be me I think Captain." The Doctor appeared on the screen standing behind Picard.

"What treachery is this?" Palak-Satak roared.

The Doctor leaned forward and frowned on the screen. "Hang on; I'm getting the hang of this. Is that rage? No not quite. Anger? No, not enough." He leapt up and pointed at the screen. "Outrage, that's outrage on his face. Brilliant!"

"Doctor, please." Picard shot the Doctor a disapproving look. "Yautja, we have not come to fight we have come to discuss a mutually agreed compromise."

Palak-Satak laughed. "There will be no settlement. There will be no compromise. There WILL be a fight, and we will prevail." He punched a button on the console and the Captains face was replaced with a view of the fleet.

He was about to give the order to attack when the chamber was filled with the sound of time being compressed and stretched, compressed and stretched as all the displays flickered along with the lights, as wooden blue box wheezed in to the middle of the room.

All the Yautja in the chamber were staring at the TARDIS as the door opened. A dozen, double-bladed knives simultaneously shot out of wrist bracers ready to meet the threat that had suddenly appeared in their midst.

A grinning, brown coated individual who talked too much stepped in to the room. "Hello, I'm the Doctor," he said. "And you must be the Chief Adjudicator Palak-Satak," he said.

"How did you know who I was?" Palak-Satak asked suspiciously.

The Doctor thumbed over his shoulder. "These guys told me," he said as Jamal-Nanak and Garak-Salak stepped out of the TARDIS and stood either side of the Doctor in a defensive position.

"TRAITORS!" Palak-Satak roared. "KILL THEM!" he ordered.

"ENLIGHTENED!" the Doctor yelled. The voice of Oncoming Storm stunned the assembled council. "LEAVE – THEM – ALONE," he commanded so that no one moved against them.

He moved towards Palak-Satak and looked up at him. "Your time as leader is coming to an end," he told him softly. "There is a new order coming."

Palak-Satak laughed again. "And who will bring this new order? You?" He tilted his head back and laughed again. The council chamber filled with laughter as the other Yautja joined in.

"Do not underestimate me Chief Adjudicator," the Doctor said with his voice full of menace. "People who underestimate me do not prevail."

To illustrate his point, he put his fingers to his mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle. Through the open door of the TARDIS, a fully grown Xenomorph stepped out, turning its sleek elongated head left and right to hiss at the council members.

The Yautja reached for their weapons when the Doctor raised his hand and said. "SIT!" The creature snapped it's head to look at the Doctor and slowly sat on its haunches, its tail slowly swished left and right across the floor.

The Yautja gasped as the Xenomorph obeyed his instructions. The Doctor walked over and gently stroked the black shiny head.

The Doctor silently turned in a circle, regarding the council members. "I will bring the new order," he said simply. "I challenge you to combat for leadership of the council."

The room was deathly silent.

Palak-Satak was dumbstruck. The audacity of this puny alien. To challenge the greatest warrior on the planet. Unbelievable!

"Well?" the Doctor said with a smile. "You're not scared that I'll beat you are you?"

"CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON!" Palak-Satak shouted in fury. "PREPARE TO DIE!" He unhooked a baton from his belt and flicked the catch that telescoped it into a spear.

The Doctor bounced on his toes and strolled over to the TARDIS and took the Xenomorph inside. He emerged with a crescent-shaped, two-ended scimitar, a Klingon bat'leth. It was wielded using three handholds along the outside edge of the blade. Worf, the security chief on the Enterprise had given it to him as a gift of honour.

"Today is a good day to die," the Doctor said, giving the traditional Klingon declaration of combat.

The fighters circled each other, swinging their weapons in arcs and figure-of-eights, sizing each other up. To be honest, the Doctor didn't stand a chance against this Yautja. He had cleaned out more xenomorph hives than any other warrior alive today. He had 5 queen skulls to his name and his body was covered in the scars of victory.

The Doctors challenge was not one of desperation, but of resignation. He no longer cared whether he lived or died. He had lost his home world. He had lost his people. He had lost his love. He had nothing else to lose.

There was a sudden burst of activity as metal clashed on metal and the fight was underway. It seemed that the Doctor was at a disadvantage, being much smaller than Palak-Satak. This worked in his favour however as he was much quicker on his feet and able to dodge a lot of the blows aimed at him.

"Sun Tzu once told me that in battle there are not more than two methods of attack." {swoosh, clang} "The direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers," the Doctor said as he skipped around on his toes.

There was another clash of weapons and the point of the spear sliced down the Doctor's left arm. He gasped and held the bat'leth in his right hand. Palak-Satak laughed. The arm of his brown pinstriped suit was dark purple with blood and the floor became slippery.

"I have been toying with you alien. It has been entertaining, but now I am bored," Palak-Satak said. He advanced towards the Doctor as he stumbled backwards.

"He also told me that he will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight," the Doctor continued.

"And what did he say about losing?" Palak-Satak asked as he spun around to stand with his back to the Doctor. The Doctor looked down to see the reverse end of the spear sticking in to his chest.

He looked up at Palak-Satak and said, "Not a lot."

Palak-Satak pulled the spear out sharply and the Doctor dropped to his knees.

A tear ran down his cheek. "Rose?" he whispered. "Rose Tyler…. I lo…" He fell backwards, his eyes staring into infinity.

Palak-Satak tilted his head back and roared his victory cry. He turned to the console to give the order for the fleet to attack.

"Adjudicator!" a Clan Chief called out in surprise. "What is that?"

Palak-Satak turned around to see what had caused one of his chieftains to call out. There on the floor in front of him was the Doctors body, a golden shaft of light shining out of the hole made by his spear.

His whole body became surrounded with an aura of golden light. Suddenly the body convulsed and beams of light too bright to look at emanated from the hands and face.

The light faded and the Doctor sat up. "mmnnmm," he mumbled, running his tongue over his teeth. "Same teeth," he said to no one in particular.

He ran his fingers through his unruly hair. "Same great hair. Brilliant," he chuckled. "Aw, but still not ginger," he said disappointedly.

He held up his right hand and wiggled his fingers. "And the same fightin' hand," he growled. He grabbed the bat'leth and leapt to his feet. "Alons-y," he cried as he flew at Palak-Satak.

"If you know the enemy and you know yourself," {Clink, swiiish, ching} "You need not fear a hundred battles," the Doctor continued to quote Sun Tzu as their weapons clashed with renewed vigour. His fighting skill had improved; mirroring Palak-Satak's fighting style more closely.

"Did I mention that my body regenerates?" he asked in a conversational tone. {Clang, ting} "No?... Well it does!"

Palak-Satak was now struggling to get the upper hand in the fight. The Doctor seemed to have acquired some Yautja skill with his regeneration. A low sweep of the spear took the Doctor's legs from under him and he landed heavily on his back.

"Now stay dead alien," he demanded as he thrust his spear through the Doctor's eye socket, brain and impaled his head to the floor.

The Doctor's body went limp. 'Surely there was no way he could recover from that injury,' Palak-Satak thought.

He thought wrong. Once again a golden glow surrounded the Doctor's body and along the shaft of the spear. The spear started to ease itself out of his skull and fell to the floor with a clang.

The glow again became too bright to look at. When the light dimmed, there were gasps of shock and surprise around the chamber. The scrawny alien had gone, and in his place was the body of a Yautja, a Yautja that could not possibly be there.

"Takal-Atak," Palak-Satak breathed in disbelief. "This is not possible."

Takal-Atak sat up. . "mmnnmm," he mumbled, running his tongue over his teeth. "Different teeth," he said to the assembled group.

"Oh look," he said in surprise. "External mandibles." He flexed them and then clicked them together, laughing. "How cool is that?... Hang on though, I bet I've lost my foxy looks haven't I?" he said disappointed.

He reached up to run his fingers through his hair and had another surprise. "Dreadlocks? Hey, I've got dreadlocks!" he exclaimed. He held them in his fingers and pulled them forwards to inspect them. "And still not bloody ginger!"

"Takal-Atak, you are an abomination!" Palak-Satak told him.

"And you Palak-Satak, are an idiot!..Oooh, that was rude," Takal-Atak said. "I'm still rude then." He stood up, flexing his shoulders and rolling his head.

"I am resurrected," he declared as he moved towards Palak-Satak. "And I come to teach you a lesson." He looked over to a Clan Chief. "Throw me a spear," he demanded. "All interlocks are off!… Bets! I mean all bets are off!"

The thrown baton flew through the air and converted to a spear as soon as he caught it.

"Are you standing comfortably?" he asked. "Then let us begin."

Takal-Atak roared and lunged forwards. His attack was so ferocious that sparks flew off the shafts of the spears. The ringing noise was deafening as the weapons clanged together time after time.

Kicks, knees and elbows also blended in to the fight and both fighters were grunting and panting with the extraordinary effort involved.

Palak-Satak was no longer playing with an inexperienced alien. He was fighting for his life as the younger warrior assailed him relentlessly with no sign of tiring.

One blow was so hard that the impact from blocking it rang through the metal spear and jarred Palak-Satak's hands, causing him to drop the spear.

Takal-Atak held his spear at one end and spun on the spot. The other end of the spear caught Palak-Satak on the back of the head, spinning him in the air, landing him on his back.

He walked over and pointed the tip of his spear at Palak-Satak's throat. "I am not going to kill you. I have been shown another way," he said. Palak-Satak's head fell back on to the floor. "Here end'th the first lesson."

In the silence, everyone heard the door of the TARDIS open with a click. There were more gasps of surprise as a lanky alien in a brown pinstriped suit and unruly hair stepped out in to the chamber.

He silently walked over to Palak-Satak and went down on to one knee to reach his face. He put his thumb under his chin, index fingers on his cheek, middle fingers on his temple, ring fingers in front of his ear, and his little fingers under his ear lobe.

Clan Leaders made to move forwards but were stopped by a gesture from Jamal-Nanak and Garak-Salak. "He will not be harmed," Garak-Salak told them.

Palak-Satak gasped and his eyes snapped open. The Doctor removed his hand and stood up. "Here end'th the second lesson," he said quietly.

The Doctor walked over to Jamal-Nanak and Garak-Salak and clasped forearms in greeting. "He has now seen what you have seen," he said nodding to the prostrate Adjudicator on the floor. "He should be more amenable to new ideas now."

Takal-Atak came over and clasped forearms with his triad brothers, hugged and slapped backs.

"How is this possible my brother?" Jamal-Nanak asked.

"It is the power of the Time Lord," he replied with a smile. "Great knowledge and great wisdom brings great power."

The Doctor smiled and ran his hand through his hair. "I suppose this makes you his disciples," he said. "The seed of an idea has been planted in the Adjudicators mind. Plant seeds of a tree in the ground and you can grow a forest. Plant seeds of an idea in the minds of the people and you can grow a civilization."

"It will not be easy my brothers and it will not be quick," Takal-Atak told them. "But be patient and persevere, the rewards will be great."

"We have to be going now," the Doctor said. "Good luck and goodbye." He walked over to the TARDIS and opened the door. The triad brothers clasped arms again.

"I must go with him, I cannot stay," Takal-Atak said. "Remember me and tell my story." He followed the Doctor in to the blue box and the door closed.

The chamber again filled with the sound of time being compressed and stretched, compressed and stretched as all the displays flickered along with the lights, as wooden blue box wheezed out of existence.

Inside the TARDIS, Takal-Atak faded away as the TARDIS left the holo-ship where he had been created. All the occupants of the council chamber were teleported from the holo-ship simulation, back to the real chamber in the capital as the TARDIS disappeared.

Captain Picard sat impatiently in his command chair. He thought back to the previous 90 minutes when the TARDIS had materialized on the bridge and the Doctor had run out asking for help, his words pouring out at ten to the dozen.


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: No excuses. I've used wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey to explain the plot.

**Chapter Seven**

**90 minutes previously.**

Captain Picard sat in the command chair watching the main view screen. It showed Yautja Prime with tactical markers indicating ships rising from the surface and assembling a fleet in orbit.

A quiet wheezing sound to the left of the view screen slowly increased in volume as the TARDIS materialised on the bridge. One corner of Picard's mouth raised in a crooked smile.

A quiet wheezing sound to the left of the view screen had slowly increased in volume as the TARDIS materialised on the bridge. One corner of Picard's mouth raised in a crooked smile.

The door flipped open and the Doctor stepped out with some urgency, followed by Jamal-Nanak and Garak-Salak. He saw the Captain and grinned.

"Ah! Captain. Brilliant. Just the man I need. We don't have much time and I need a few favours," he said, his mouth and brain in overdrive.

Picard calmly smiled. "Of course you do Doctor," he replied.

The Doctor's mouth was open and it snapped shut. That wasn't the response he was expecting.

Looking past the Doctor, Picard addressed the Yautja. "Gentlemen, welcome back aboard the Enterprise." The Yautja gave a short bow of greeting.

A little puzzled, the Doctor continued. "Oh. Right. Well. Data, could you perform a…"

"Detailed scan of the council chamber in the government building?" Data finished for him. "Already done Doctor."

"What?!" he said looking completely baffled. "Really? Okay. Thank you," he said absent-mindedly.

He was almost afraid to ask for the next favour. "Er, Geordie..."

"The data has been downloaded to a vacant holo-ship and is ready to run," Geordie said with a grin.

The Doctor was doing a very good impression of a Goldfish as his mouth opened and closed without speaking. For once in his long life, he was lost for words.

Deanna walked forward from her chair and held his arm. "All the avatars have been downloaded and are also ready to run," she told him with a smile.

"Okay! Okay. Time out," he said making a 'T' symbol with his hands. "What's going on?"

Picard smiled warmly. "I'm afraid I have strict instructions not to tell you," he said.

"Whose instructions?" the Doctor challenged.

"Ah, that I can tell you," Picard answered. "Yours."

"Oh!" is all the Doctor could think of saying.

The Captain looked reluctant to speak again. "I have to tell you it's a bit timey-wimey," he said wincing.

Deanna tried unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle. Will and Geordie were grinning and Data, with his deadpan expression looked at the Captain and repeated. "Timey-wimey?"

The Doctor let out a laugh. "Hah! Oh I'm good," he said to anyone who wanted to listen.

The communications officer spoke up. "Captain. I have managed to establish a link to the council chamber. We can now hail them."

Picard looked over his shoulder at the officer and nodded. "Good work Ensign. Make it so."

A view of the Yautja council chamber appeared on the screen. "I am Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Star Ship Enterprise. I would like to speak with the leader of the Yautja to negotiate a peaceful settlement of our differences," the Captain said in calm, reassuring voice.

A scarred, elderly Yautja spoke. "Hah! Peaceful! You send a spy to give away our location so that you can sneak up on us and attack us, and expect us to negotiate." He spat the words out with contempt.

"I assure you we have sent no spies," Picard replied with a puzzled look on his face.

"The thin, brown coated spy who talks too much. His corpse hangs in the interrogation centre as we speak," Palak-Satak smirked.

"Ah, yes, um, that would be me I think Captain." The Doctor moved to stand behind Picard.

"What treachery is this?" Palak-Satak roared.

The Doctor leaned forward and frowned on the screen. "Hang on; I'm getting the hang of this. Is that rage? No not quite. Anger? No, not enough." He bounced on his toes and pointed at the screen. "Outrage, that's outrage on his face. Brilliant!"

"Doctor, please." Picard shot the Doctor a disapproving look. "Yautja, we have not come to fight we have come to discuss a mutually agreed compromise."

Palak-Satak laughed. "There will be no settlement. There will be no compromise. There WILL be a fight, and we will prevail." The council chamber was replaced with a view of the planet and the tactical markers of the Yautja fleet.

"I think that's your cue Doctor," Picard said. "Good luck." He held out his hand to the Doctor. The Doctor shook his hand and pulled him in to a hug.

The Doctor's final request was for multiple target teleports in to the holo-ship as the TARDIS materialized.

At the door to the TARDIS he said goodbye and told them that no one should interfere or try to help him if it all went wrong. The Captain pondered on the fact that for a man with a time machine, time seemed to be the one thing the Doctor didn't have.

* * *

Data ended the wait with his report. "Captain, I am detecting high levels of chroniton and tachyon particles in the conference lounge. It appears there is temporal disturbance."

Picard leapt to his feet. Down the corridor, through closed doors, the faint wheeze of the TARDIS could be heard.

He looked at Will seated to his right, and Deanna to his left and was about to ask them to join him when a familiar voice crackled over the intercom. "Hello, it's the Doctor here… Oh, you have probably realized that already. I'm in the conference room… Ah, you probably already know that as well. Can we all meet and do that thing you do after a mission, y'know brief or debrief, whatever you call it." He rambled. "I like debrief, a bit of innuendo, a bit cheeky," he chuckled.

Deanna laughed out loud while Will and the Captain smiled. "Mr. Data, Mr. La Forge, Mr. Worf, would you join us in the conference lounge please?" The Captain asked.

In the conference room, the senior staff were assembled for a de-briefing of the Doctor's mission.

Captain Picard spoke first. "So Doctor, can you tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Wellll, it's a bit complicated, it involves time lines, fixed points, temporal flux etc, but I'll do my best," he told them. "Where to start?" he muttered.

"Okay. First of all you've got to understand Yautja society. The closest Earth analogy is of the 12th century Japanese Shogunate. A strict, feudal society with lots of rules, traditions, honour, and respect for authority. Add to that an almost paranoid xenophobia and you have a formidable adversary," he started.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Remember the Klingons before the Khitomer Accords and the Treaty of Alliance? Well, the Yautja are ten times worse because of their xenophobia. Well, it's not really xenophobia. They're not afraid of other species; they have a complete disregard for them."

"I found their planet listed in the TARDIS star charts and paid them a visit, hoping to open a friendly dialogue," he continued. "That didn't go too well. In fact it didn't go at all. In fact it was a complete disaster. They didn't even give me chance to say hello."

"I found myself hanging upside down in a torture chamber trying to convince an interrogator, who had probably been bullied as a child, that I wasn't a spy. That's when you lot turned up."

"Fortunately for me, my two gaolers were our old friends Jamal-Nanak and Garak-Salak. They probably heard about my arrival and made sure they were in the right place at the same time," he speculated.

"When our old friends rescued me, I realised that talking wasn't going to work. I was going to have to use actions to challenge centuries of established tradition." The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair and scratched his head in that puzzled fashion that he always did when he was thinking temporally.

"Now, the next bit hasn't happened for me yet, so I'm going to have to work out what I did next," he told the assembled group. "I knew I was going to need some help so I would have sent instructions to you Captain Picard."

He stopped and thought about it. "How would I do that? I know. An electronic data pad with time locked instructions. Right?" he looked at the Captain with raised eyebrows. Picard smiled and nodded.

"Now. How would I travel back to then without the internal sensors detecting the TARDIS and me running into myself?" He turned to look at Data.

"Data. What do the internal sensors routinely scan for on the Enterprise?" he asked.

Data raised his eyebrows. "I think I can see where you are going with this and help you," he told the Doctor. "The internal sensors routinely monitor crew comm-links, levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, radiation, temperature and humidity. Public areas, corridors and 'turbo-lifts' also have audio and video monitoring. He emphasized the word turbo-lift.

"There is one area of the ship that is not routinely monitored for any of these due to the partial vacuum normally present," he finished.

The Doctor frowned as he thought about this information and then grinned. "The lift shafts!" he exclaimed. "Nobody in those, so no need to monitor them. I materialise the TARDIS undetected in the shaft nearest to the Captains quarters, probably while I'm in the holodeck with Rose." He was on a roll.

"The rest of it I have just experienced. When I escaped from the dungeon, I realised that I needed to challenge the Chief Adjudicator to a duel. I knew I wouldn't stand a chance against an experienced warrior like that, so I needed a stunt man and some 'special effects'," he continued.

"The first part was easy. I needed an exact copy of the council chamber in a holo-ship for the stunt man and special effects to work. Data told me that he had already scanned the chamber and uploaded it to a vacant ship."

"Next, Deanna told me that profiling was her speciality and her rendition of Rose was truly superb." He flashed his eyebrows at her and she grinned. "As we had already shared a mind-meld when saving Rose from the Borg, she would be well placed to create an accurate avatar of me. That would have been my first request as it would take a long time to assemble." Deanna continued to grin and nodded in agreement.

"To impress the clan leaders in the council I would need to do something they couldn't. Domesticating a Xenomorph and having it as an obedient pet would certainly get their attention," he said.

"My avatar would need to learn from the Chief Adjudicator so that it could eventually beat him. Also, because of their xenophobic nature, the final beating should come from one of their own." It was Geordie's turn to nod. He had created those avatars from archived sensor logs from the Borg ship.

"Finally, you would need to know where to find me. The last message would have been the coordinates of Yautja Prime with instructions to talk to them but not take any action," he concluded. "How did I do?"

Picard smiled and shook his head in amazement. "Literally word for word," he said. The Doctor then gave an account of what had happened in the council chamber and how he had used the avatars.

"Captain, it might be an idea to tell the Chief Adjudicator that we are leaving and that you will respect their desire privacy if they respect your desire for peace," the Doctor suggested. "Although I don't think you'll need that leverage now."

He suddenly had an afterthought. "Oh, and Geordie. It might be an idea to wipe any Federation species from the holo-ships if you're going to leave them there. We don't want them falling back into old habits," he said with a grin.

Data made an observation after hearing the Doctor's account of his mission. "Doctor, I believe that your actions may have brought about the beginning of a new religion among the Yautja."

The Doctor smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time," he said, waggling his eyebrows again. "Who'd you think advised Emperor Constantine to amalgamate pagan festivals with Christian ones to unify the various factions?"

The entire group stared, open-mouthed.

With that the Doctor stood and made his way to the TARDIS in the corner of the room. The Captain walked over and shook the Doctor's hand and pulled him in to a hug. The look of surprise on the Doctor's face was priceless.

"Once again Doctor we are in your debt," Picard said as he released him from the hug.

"Hardly. It was my mistake, my problem, my responsibility," he said with a shrug.

Will, Data, Worf and Geordie each came up to shake his hand and say goodbye. Deanna held back so that she could have him all to herself.

She gave him a long hug and the Doctor rested his chin against her head, kissing her hair and rubbing her back in an affectionate embrace.

"I'm going to miss you," she told him.

"Oh, I don't know, you'll see me around," he said mysteriously. He reached inside the door and grabbed his long brown coat and shrugged it over his shoulders.

"Doctor, I believe you will be needing this," Data said, holding out an e-pad.

"Ah yes. I've got a small detour to make," he said with a grin. "See you around sometime." From a Time Lord, that phrase had more meaning than it did from anyone else.

He stepped in to the TARDIS and closed the door. The door opened slightly and his head popped out. "Deanna, check out your London program in the holodeck," he said with a grin, waggling his eyebrows for the last time.

The door closed and the TARDIS started to wheeze as it slowly disappeared.

Deanna went straight to the holodeck and started the London simulation. She created this program for Rose when she was feeling home sick. They had shopped, had coffee, eaten chocolates and enjoyed Baileys Irish cream while admiring the cute barman's bum.

She had been back many times with Rose and Jackie, enjoying the company of the avatars and the world they inhabited. It felt different now, knowing that she would never see the real Rose again.

She entered the holodeck in the wine bar where they enjoyed drinking and eyeing up the talent. She was immediately grabbed in to a hug by Rose.

"Deanna!" she squealed. "I've missed you! How are you?" she asked.

Deanna was taken by surprise. Something was different about Rose. She was more 'vibrant' and alive. "I'm fine Rose. I've missed you to," she laughed.

"C'mon," Rose said. "Let's get a drink. I understand there's been a change of staff. Apparently they've got a new barman," she said with a wink.

They made their way past a few customers and arrived at the bar.

"Two Baileys please," Rose called out to the barman.

He turned around and they both squealed with laughter. Rose leaned over the bar, grabbed his tie, pulled him forward and gave him a big wet snog.

Deanna burst out laughing. The new barman had unruly brown hair, gorgeous brown eyes and apparently very kissable lips.

It lifted her mood enormously to see the Doctor and Rose together again.

And he did have a very nice bum!

**The End**


End file.
